Carl Froch Begins to Back Away from George Groves Rematch, Drops Retirement Hint

Carl Froch has claimed he will only take a rematch with George Groves "if it makes perfect sense," but admits retirement could be no more than two fights away.

"The Cobra" controversially stopped his opponent in the ninth round of the super middleweight title fight, a decision that saw the referee intervene too hastily when Groves was ahead on points.

Froch confirmed he is willing to rematch Groves, but expressed a need not to waste his remaining fights at the age of 36, reported by Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail:

I will take a holiday then talk about this with Eddie and take the advice of my trainer Rob McCracken.

I have never ducked anyone and if it [a rematch against Groves] makes perfect sense I would do it. But I am the champion. I’ve fought all the best super middleweights in the world. I have nothing to prove and nobody has the right to force my hand.

I have at least two more big fights left in me.

Despite being dropped early in the fight, Froch fought back to extend his tally of successful world title bouts to nine, per BoxRec. Groves called for a rematch in the aftermath of his loss, as noted via his official Twitter account:

Truly gutted. I played my part and from what I've seen of the footage the ref made a terrible decision.. I will demand my rematch RT

With time running out in his career, Froch needs to be make the right choices before he says goodbye to the ring. A rematch with Andre Ward, the only opponent Froch has never beaten, would certainly draw in big bucks across the globe.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or GennadyGolovkin may also see their names thrown into the mix, but right now, Groves' determination during the original battle gives him the edge.

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Whom should Carl Froch elect to fight next?

George GrovesAndre WardJulio Cesar Chavez Jr.Gennady GolovkinNobody, he should retire.Submit Votevote to see results

Whom should Carl Froch elect to fight next?

George Groves

60.5%

Andre Ward

12.2%

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

6.6%

Gennady Golovkin

12.6%

Nobody, he should retire.

8.0%

Total votes: 859

The 25-year-old showed what a class act he is throughout the exchange, which is sure to have granted him many more fans in Britain and beyond. He has time to recover from the disappointing loss and is likely to compete for further world titles in the coming years.

Froch's next decision is an extremely interesting one. A potential bout with Ward or Golovkin would likely see him head for defeat against seriously dangerous rivals.

A Groves rematch would arguably be just as lucrative, given the controversial and brutal nature of the first bout, and is the most winnable of Froch's options.

Much will depend on what drives Froch at this stage in his career. The public's hankering for Froch vs. Groves II is clear, but if the Nottingham fighter only has two fights left to add to his legacy, it does make sense that he goes chasing the very top names—a list headed by Ward.